Refreshing Internet Marketing Methods – Modern Email Marketing

In the old days of internet marketing, mass emailing was a widespread and profitable venture. Thousands of reputable companies would send out mailings to their customers who would happily open email and review their details. It seemed win/win – companies got increased exposure while customers got information about the latest deals available.

Unfortunately, what began as a common sense internet marketing strategy quickly spiraled into a dirty mess of pointless messages pushing enlargement pills and money transfer scams. In time, spam became more common than legitimate marketing messages, and as inboxes were flooded by unwanted messages the real, valuable marketing emails were pushed from the fore.

Today, the world of mass email marketing is much different. There are three primary methods by which modern internet marketers attempt to utilize such practices today, yet some are far more valuable than others. This article will outline each strategy and suggest how it may be used – or avoided – to the benefit of a company.

Untargeted and Uninteresting

Recent studies have suggested that around two thirds of internet users would be willing to review marketing emails if they could be distinguished from spam. Unfortunately, very few organizations do a very good job of setting their messages apart from junk. If a subject line reads like spam (or just does not seem interesting) it does not stand a chance of being read. Think about it – most people receive dozens of emails each day. Why bother wasting time with a questionable message?

Avoiding Mass Emailing Altogether

While mass emailing may have been a widespread internet marketing practice when the web was younger, it is not today. Many companies choose to simply ignore mass emailing completely, opting for other methods of reaching customers. This may actually be a more effective strategy than the one above – customers do not want to receive messages that they perceive to be junk, and if they feel that you are unnecessarily cluttering their inboxes they may just write you off altogether.

Email Relativism

The most effective way to utilize mass emailing, however, is not to ignore it. Instead, the most successful companies find ways of making their messages stand out as something other than spam, appealing directly to specific kinds of customers. This strategy discards single messages that are crafted to appeal to enormous audiences. While still sent to perhaps thousands of people, such messages are fine-tuned to appeal to only a (relative) handful of individuals. They look different from spam through their subject messages and their content – and they get read.

Finding the right approach to mass emailing is not easy. Yet those who decide to give it a try must be mindful to keep their messages relevant – or stay away from the game altogether.